Design for 3D printing requires knowledge of the specific manufacturing process being used. Example considerations for the fused filament fabrication process I used include supports and overhang, tolerances, and surface patterns/texture.

3D printed objects can be *very* strong and light because of how the interior of the printed object is formed (infill).

It is easy to practice iterative design with a 3D printer. I had to alter my SD card holder several times to get the right “friction” when inserting and removing SD cards.

3D printed objects can be quite cost effective because of the optimized strength/density ratio.

Once you start designing and printing objects, you’ll discover many things you can do with this capability.

The diagram shows what this model-to-printer 3D workflow can look like.